Improved folding shelf



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

G. W. GILLESPIE, OF'HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVED FOLDING SHELF.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 5l ,583, dated December 19, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, G. W. GILLEsPlE, of Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and 1mproved Folding Shelf; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure lis a front view of a shelf constructed according to my invention and secured to the wall of a room. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 represents a shelf provided with two brackets.

The object of my invention is to produce a shelf which can be easily secured to the side of a room or building and quickly removed therefrom without injuring` the wall and folded up v in a small space for transportation.

My invention consists in providing a shelf with hinged brackets capable of being folded down upon the shelf, and in providing these brackets and shelves with metallic knees or plates, whereby the same can be quicklyand readily secured to the wall, as will be hereinafter described.

To enable others to understand my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents the shelf, which may be of any desired shape or style, such as are secured to the walls of a room on which to place ornaments, as well as those used in closets and elsewhere for holding various articles.

B B are the brackets, which may be of the usual styleused for supporting shelves-:that is, triangular in shape. To secure these brackets to the shelves in a manner which will enable them to be folded or turned down is one feature of my invention, and I effect this by securing one leaf of the hinge to the bracket and the other leaf to the shelf. This will enable the bracket to be folded or'turned down upon the under side ofthe shelf, as Will be readily seen by reference to the several figures.

To the side of the bracket and to the under side of the shelves I secure metallic knees or plates c c, in such manner that the face of one angle will rest against the wall. The bracket and shelf' are secured to the wall by screwing or nailing these knees or plates to the wall, a shown clearly in the several figures.

Shelves constructed according to my invention will be found very useful.

It is very often desirable to take down the shelves in a room or closet for the purpose of cleaning, painting, papering, Snc., and my iiivention enables this to be done readily and quickly; and after it has been done the shelves can be put up without defacing or injuring the wall in any way.

I am aware that many articles have been constructed with folding legs, top, sides, 85e.; but I am not aware that a shelf with folding brackets has ever been proposed, nor am l aware that metallic knees or plates have ever been used in" connection with such folding brackets for securing the same to the wall o side of a room.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combination of the shelf A, brackets B, and knees c, all constructed 4and arranged to opperate4 substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

G. W. GILLESPIE.

Witnesses HIEAM HAVENS, EDWARD N. HAvENs.' 

